The State government has done away with the seven-day mandatory institutional quarantine for international returnees to Karnataka. Instead, such travellers now have to compulsorily follow a 14-day home quarantine.
So far, seven-day institutional quarantine followed by seven-day home quarantine was mandatory. Only those aged above 60 with terminal illness, pregnant women, and children under the age of 10 were exempted.
According to a circular on the revised guidelines issued on Friday, symptomatic passengers classified into category 1 will be segregated from other passengers and sent to dedicated COVID-19 health centres for testing.
If they test positive in a rapid antigen test (RAT), they will be triaged for home isolation or shifted to a COVID-19 hospital. If they test negative, they will be isolated and managed clinically. Their swab samples will also be taken for an RT-PCR test, and if they test positive they will be triaged for home isolation or shifted to a COVID-19 hospital. If they are negative, they will be advised a 14-day home quarantine, the circular stated.
All asymptomatic passengers, who will be classified under category 2, will be sent to home quarantine for 14 days. If home quarantine is not possible for any reason, they will be allowed institutional quarantine.
Business trips
Travellers who are on a short business visit should establish themselves as business visitors. They should produce original confirmed return flight tickets which should not be dated more than seven days from the date of arrival. Documents pertaining to the purpose of visit/invitation letter, place of stay/ hotel reservation, and valid visa copies should also be submitted. If the traveller is coming for a short duration of 48 hours (counted from arrival time), he/she is exempted from the COVID-19 test and quarantine.
If the duration of stay in Karnataka is more than 48 hours and less than seven days, a COVID-19 test shall be done (swab sample drawn immediately on arrival for RAT), and after getting a negative report the person can complete his or her engagements and go back.
Business/short-term visitors who come with a negative RT-PCR test report shall be exempted from testing on arrival. This test should have been conducted within 96 hours prior to the journey.
Passengers who arrive in Karnataka after landing in other States should undergo an RAT after reaching their respective districts if they are symptomatic. If such passengers are asymptomatic, they should complete 14 days of home quarantine (from the date of arrival in India).
International passengers of other States arriving in Karnataka, if asymptomatic, will be allowed to go to their respective States with the advice of home quarantine for 14 days.
